


The Last Step

by Arithra



Series: Memoirs of the Master of Death [8]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Declaration of War, Inevitability, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:41:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27149549
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arithra/pseuds/Arithra
Summary: This was the last opportunity to stop the rise of Lord Voldemort.Harold knew Albus wouldn't take it.Or: Tom applies to teach DADA.
Relationships: Harry Potter/Tom Riddle | Voldemort
Series: Memoirs of the Master of Death [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/225602
Comments: 7
Kudos: 66





	The Last Step

Harold knew that this was maybe the last time, the last action, that could change history forever. Part of him still clung to the old determination, the old belief, that he could indeed manage to fulfill his self-set goal.

To stop Tom Riddle from becoming Voldemort.

Or at least that was what his goal had changed to over the years after he gave up on killing the other man. Because no matter how perfect his schemes were – something always went wrong.

He wondered if that was how Voldemort had felt when Harry had pulled off another death defying stunt and conceded that it was highly likely to be the case.

It would have been easy, Harold mused, to kill Tom. The man had let his guard down around him often enough. It would have been two simple words and a Horcrux hunt, that wasn’t really a hunt since he knew where each of them was.

One dangling around his neck.

It was frustrating really.

Harry would not hesitate to lay down his own life to protect the people he loved. Harold would do the same.

The irony was, that Tome Riddle – Voldemort, had become one of those people he so fiercely wanted to protect. One of those he loved.

And while his own life was a price he was all too willing to pay, he had never been able to do so with the life of others.

It may seem like an admirable skill at first, but he wished for Dumbledore's belief in the greater good, that had made the old man capable, no matter how much he hated it, to set Harry up like a lamb for slaughter.

Harry didn’t have that though. And neither did Harold.

And that was why, even after all those years, all those opportunities he had wasted, he was sitting in the great hall of Hogwarts drinking tea with Minerva McGonagall and waiting for the inevitable.

Because he knew Dumbledore would not hire Tom to teach defense against the dark arts.

No matter how brilliant Tom was.

No matter that this was the last opportunity to stop the rise of Lord Voldemort.

He had played with the idea of telling Dumbledore about the fact that he was a time traveler more than once, but he had always decided against it.

Not only because he did not want to risk exposure and a stay in Azkaban, but also because he could not trust Dumbledore.

After all Harold Evans, was the right hand of the dark Lord Voldemort. Regardless of the fact that the dark lord had not officially made himself known to the world.

Dumbledore had always seen the darkness in Tom. Harold had too, but Harold had seen more than that. And it was that little fact that made it impossible for Harold to trust Albus Dumbledore.

Harold was too close to Tom. Tom trusted Harold Evans. And Albus Dumbledore did not know of Harry Potter, and even if Harold told him chances were that he would not believe him.

After all it could be a scheme of Voldemort to gain a position within Hogwarts.

Harold smiled at Minerva and told her about their travels, leaving out the most important facts. Like the Horcruxes.

He had tried to stop Tom from creating them, because he could easily see, that with each time he split his soul he was losing his humanity. Giving birth to Lord Voldemort and sending Tom Riddle to death.

But there was still some of Tom left in him, otherwise he would not seek the defense position, Harold knew.

Tom Riddle had always wanted a home and that home had been Hogwarts. He would never be a good person, but given the chance, the choice between being a Dark Lord and having a home, the one place he loved more that he would ever admit, Tom Riddle would turn his back on Voldemort, of that Harold was sure.

He knew that his hoped were four naught though, because just as he put down his teacup he could feel an angry spike of magic flare through the castle and he knew, that the curse, that would make it impossible to keep a Defense instructor for more than a year had been cast

Minerva had felt the malevolent magic too and got to her feet reaching for her wand.

Giving a tired sight the timetraveler got to his feet and gestured for Minerva to lower her wand.

“It seem like it’s time to leave. It was nice to see you again after such a long time.”

She looked at him questioningly, but he simply smiled, to used to avoid speaking about things he did not want to speak about from spending time in Toms company and a year in the house of serpents.

“Harold?”

Her voice was steely and he smiled, remembering the woman she would one day become.

The door of the great hall slammed open.

“That’s my cue Minerva.”

He pressed a soft kiss on her cheek.

“Take care.”

And with he turned away from the side of the war that his morals told him to fight for and towards the man who would one day kill his parents.

Unblinkingly gazing into the newcomers eyes, Harold gave a sad smile and mentally say goodbye to the man he loved.

“We are leaving.”

Voldemort’s voice was emotionless and Harold did not answer but simply inclined his head in acceptance, before following the man out of the only home they had ever known.

Staring at the dark lords back Harold suddenly felt old and weary.

Voldemort did not turn around, did not wait for him after reaching the boundary of the Hogwarts wards and Harold knew, that Tom Riddle was gone forever, replaced with the creature that would one day be known and feared as Lord Voldemort.

He had failed.

Lord Voldemort would rise, history would take its course and Harold Evans would become a murderer. The dark Lord’s most faithful.

Still standing at the boundary of the wards Harold turned around and looked at Hogwarts one more time a sad smile gracing his features.

Meeting the gaze of the headmaster who was standing at the entrance watching him suspiciously, he gave a short nod and spoke, knowing full well that the older man would read his lips.

“To death, Albus Dumbledore.”


End file.
